Shaker mechanism



March 1, 1966 PETERSQN 3,237,787

S HAKER ME CHAN I SM Original Filed Aug. 9, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

E F. PETERSON z v. A

ATTORNEY SHAKER MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 9. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8 's. 7 174 no '74 O IN{;ENTOR. E. F, PE ensou 2|2 209 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3 (Ilaims. or. 214-17 This application is a division of copending application Serial No. 130,333, filed August 9, 1961.

This invention relates to a shaker mechanism or vibrator and more particularly to that type of shaker employed for facilitating the flow, handling etc. of materials in storage, transport and like receptacles or containers.

The invention finds particular utility in the field of unloading hopper-bottom railroad cars, such as are conventionally used for the transport of coal, sand, gravel, stone etc., wherein the contents may become packed, jammed, frozen or otherwise compacted so that simple gravitational unloading is not always possible. In the past, car shakers have been employed for the general purposes indicated, and these have commonly taken the form of portable or permanent mechanisms attachable to the car and reacting against the ground or other groundanchored support. In still other cases, an overhead type of mechanism has been employed, but these are normally of such great weight as to be cumbersome and inefiicient, the requirement for great Weight being due to the fact that the weight is relied upon to maintain the position of the shaker mechanism on the car, and in spite of this weight the mechanism must be tethered or it will walk along the car.

According to the present invention, the problems involved in the use of portable or heavy apparatus are overcome by the provision of a simple and economical apparatus which may be regarded in the broad class of overhead apparatus and which features an assemblage made up of a plurality of movable parts capable of achieving variations in length and having opposite end elements which may grip opposed walls of such container or receptacle, in a preferred form the mechanism being so arranged that the assemblage is capable of expansion to frictionally grip these opposed walls. A further feature of the invention resides in means in addition to the gripping jaws or end elements for the purpose of temporarily supporting the assemblage at rest and from above on the receptacle, car or container. It is a feature of the invention to provide simplified means for achieving variations in length of the assemblage, whereby to facilitate installation and removal thereof from the car, container etc. Still further objects reside in improved means for mounting vibrator mechanism on the assemblage, improved means and mounting for driving the vibrator and means for adapting the assemblage to be lifted into and out of place relative to the car. It is a further object to provide such apparatus as may be used with a car, container etc. Without the necessity of modifying the car, container etc. in any manner whatsoever. Another object of the invention is to provide such shaker means with jaws or equivalent wall-engaging elements constructed in such manner as to conform to, grip or otherwise engage the walls so as to prevent displacement of the assemblage during operation. Still another object is to provide such mechanism with a vibrator operating on an upright axis so that the forces generated will be applied horizontally to the car and will thus better level the load.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable features inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become apparent as preferred embodiments thereof are disclosed in detail in the ensuing description 3,237,737 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 ice of preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings, the figures of which are described below.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view, with portions omitted, showing one form of the assemblage installed between the opposed body or wall portions of a typical car or container.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1 as seen generally along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a plan, on a reduced scale, as seen along the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a view of a modified form of assemblage in its position prior to its connection to a typical hopper car or container.

FIGURE 6 is a view of the same structure, with portions in section, showing the assemblage in ultimate operational position.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section of that portion of FIGURE 6 designated generally by the arrow bearing the encircled numeral 7.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged section on the line 88 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is a small-scale view illustrating a further adaptation of the principles of the invention.

In connection with the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1, the numeral 10 represents a container, receptacle etc. typical of the conventional hopper-bottom railroad car, which, as is usual, includes opposite side wall or body portions 12 and 14 which are respectively bordered along their upper edges by reenforcing members 16 and 18 of appropriate section. These are typically riveted to the respective side walls as at 20 and 22. Because of the nature of the car construction, the upper portions of the walls 12 and 14, as bordered or delineated by the respective channels 16 and 18, may be regarded as presenting portions spaced apart a fixed distance; although, since these parts are inherently resilient, some expansion and contraction will occur.

The shaker apparatus is indicated in its entirety by the numeral 24 and is made up of a plurality of members, one of which is an elongated member in the form of a channel 26 having a length greater than the distance between the side walls 12 and 14 so as to be capable of spanning the channels 16 and 18, the length of the member 26 being such that it has at its opposite ends what may be regarded as lip means 28 and 30 which rest respectively on the channels 16 and 18 as the assemblage is lowered into place as by means of a crane or the like, a bail or yoke 32 being welded at 34 to the outer or top flange 36 of the channel which constitutes the member 26. For the purpose of providing the lip means 28 with adequate area, the end portion of the channel 26 proximate to said lip means may be notched out as suggested at 38 in FIGURE 1, and the wings thus afforded, as at 40 (FIGURE 4) may be bent outwardly in the plane of the proximate portion of the top or outer flange 36. The notched portions 38 serve additional functions, as will presently appear. It will be clear of course that the other end of the member 36 at which the lip means 30 is afforded is similarly constructed.

Rigidly secured to one end of the member 26, in the area of the lip means 30 is a jaw or end element 42, which is preferably cut out or notched at 44 to accommodate the heads of the proximate rivets 22. The end element or jaw 42 may be of any suitable material of sufiicient strength and is preferably welded, as at 46, between the opposed depending side flanges 49 of the channel member 36.

Another and cooperative end element or jaw 48 is provided at the opposite end of the member 26 and this jaw is notched or cut away at 50 to accommodate the heads of the proximate rivets 20. The end element or jaw 48 is movable relative to the integrated unit constituting the member 26 and other end element 42, thus affording the assemblage the characteristic of being variable in length, the nature of the line of movement of the jaw 48 being of course lengthwise of the member 26. For the purpose of achieving variations in length as just stated, the apparatus 24 is provided with force-applying means, here preferably in the form of a hydraulic motor of the cylinder-piston type, including a cylinder 52 having a piston 54 which is connected by a piston rod 56 to the movable jaw 48. The cylinder 52 is preferably nested between the depending flanges 49 and may be provided itself with a flange 58 by means of which it is attachable to the under side of the top flange 36 of the member 26, as by cap screws 60. It will be understood that the particular cylinder mounting shown is only representative and it is not beyond the spirit of the invention to provide motors of different types, cylinders of different sizes or numbers etc., the significant factor being that the force applying means 525456 is controllable to change the length of the assemblage 24 by means of causing movement of the jaw 48 relative to the other components. The hydraulic motor is preferably of the two-way type and fluid may be selectively introduced to opposite ends thereof, as by fluid lines 6264. These in turn may be connected to any suitable pump and valve arrangement, many examples of which are known and therefore a schematic illustration is relied upon at 66 as representative thereof. It will be understood that the pump could be of the manually operated type, as in a hydraulic jack, or it could be a power-driven pump, with the valve incorporated therein a or separate therefrom, details which are not per se material here. Suffice it to note that when the assemblage is lowered into place with its lip means 28 and 30 resting on the opposed channels 16 and 18, there will be temporary support of the assemblage so that it cannot descend into the car or equivalent container. When the device 66 is operated to introduce fluid under pressure behind the piston 54, the hydraulic motor is expanded to move the jaw 48 outwardly, thus exerting a clamping or gripping pressure against the opposite side walls 12 and 14 of the car. Since the jaws 48 and 42 are notched respectively at 44 and 50, they are capable of being interlocked with the respective rivets and 22, thereby preventing upward displacement of the assemblage when it is in gripping relationship to the car walls 12 and 14. Thus, the assemblage becomes in effect a rigid part of the car for the purpose of facilitating the unloading or material therefrom. When it is desired to relax the expansion pressure created in the assemblage, the device 66 may be operated to cause introduction of fluid ahead of the piston 54 and exhaust of fluid from behind the piston 54, thereby allowing the jaw 48 to move inwardly, so that the elfective length of the assemblage is shortened. It may at times be found necessary merely to shift the assemblage lengthwise of the car for creating vibrational forces in other areas, and this may be done by simply sliding the assemblage along the top of the car walls, the lip means 28 and riding on the channels 16 and 18, after which expansion pressure may again be exerted to clamp the assemblage in place.

For the purpose of transmitting vibrational forces to the car via the assemblage 24, the member 26 carries thereon vibrator mechanism operative to create forces in a horizontal plane. In the present case, the central portion of the member 26 is provided with a supporting plate 68 which spans the depending flanges 48 in downwardly spaced relation to the immediate portion of the top flange 36, rigid aflixation being secured as by welding at '70. A central portion of the plate 68 is suitably recessed to accommodate an anti-friction bearing 72 which supports one end of a vibrator shaft 74, the other end of which is carried in a bearing 76 recessed in a built-up portion of the top flange 36. A suitable driving source, such as an electric motor 78 is carried in any suitable manner in coaxial alinement with the vibrator shaft 74, which is hollow to receive the motor shaft 80. Any suitable mounting, such as a top plate 82, a mounting pad 84 and cap screws 86 may be used in mounting the motor 78. To improve the compactness of the organization, the bail 32 is shaped so that it bridges the motor and in addition affords a measure of protection thereto.

Secured to the vibrator shaft 74 in any suitable manner for rotation therewith is a vibrator weight 88, the mass of which is of course eccentric to the shaft and which rotates in a circle of greater diameter than the transverse dimension between the side flanges 48 of the member 26. However, the side flanges may be cut out to afford rectangular openings at 90 to accommodate the swing of the weight 88 (FIGURES 2 and 3). The vibrator operates on the principles well known to those versed in the field of such mechanisms and the forces created are transmitted of course to the car body 10 via the clamped assemblage. In a typical construction the fluid power device 66 may be suitably mounted on the member 26 so that the whole apparatus is portable and of relatively light weight and simple construction. As already indicated, it may be moved from place to place in the same car and may be readily lifted and moved to other cars. It requires no reaction connection to the ground or other ground-supported anchor and is therefore wholly self-contained. It moreover has relatively few moving parts and therefore is easy to manufacture, use and maintain.

Reference was previously made to the notches 38 in the side flanges 49 as serving a purpose other than the provision of the wings 40 on the lip means 28. Such additional purpose may be represented by the accommodation of a jaw having a width greater than that shown in FIGURE 4, particularly where it is found that such jaw will serve better under heavy-duty conditions. It should also be recognized that the top flat surface of the jaw 48 rides on the flat undersurface of the flange 36, or is at least in sufficient contact therewith, to prevent rotation of the jaw 48 so that its notch 50 is always capable of receiving the rivets 20. As will be noted further, the upper portion of the jaw extends outwardly a greater distance than the lower portion of the jaw so as to engage the proximate inner portion of the angle or channel 16. The same condition exists as respects the jaw 42. Other features as well as variations will readily suggest themselves to those versed in the art.

Similar advantages will be derived from the apparatus shown in FIGURES 5 through 8, which is illustrated in conjunction with a hopper car 100, for example, having spaced apart and opposed side walls 102 and 104. The variable-length assemblage, here designated in its entirely by the numeral 106, again comprises a plurality of movably interconnected members. In this instance, there are three members, including a central member 108 and a pair of outer members 110 and 112, the former being pivotally connected to the proximate end of the central member 108 on a horizontal pivot 114 and the other member 112 being similarly pivoted to the opposite end of the central member 108 on a parallel pivot 116. The three members thus constitute a toggle having, in FIGURE 5, what may be regarded as a retracted position. The outer members 110 and 112 are provided respectively with extensions affording lip means 118 and 120 which, in this position, rest respectively on the top edges of the opposed walls 102 and 104 of the car 100, thus preventing descent of the assemblage 106 into the car. Each of the members 110 and 112 is in the form of a channel, as is the member 108, according to the preferred construction. In the case of the relationship between the member 108 and each of the members 110 and 112, the side flanges of the outer members, as at 122 and 124 embrace the side flanges of the associated portions of the central member 108. These flanges 122 and 1 4 are additionally cut away adjacent their respective lip means so as to afford the supporting relationship relied upon to prevent descent of the assemblage 106 into the car.

It will be seen from the description thus far that if the toggle constituted by the three members 108, 110 and 112 is straightened to the position of FIGURE 6, a clamping pressure will be exerted between the side Walls 102 and 104 of the car, which amounts to an increase in length of the toggle suflicient to cause the toggle to exert a clamping action between these walls. This, in conjunction with the supporting of the assemblage via the lip means 118 and 120 causes a temporary but rigid connection between the assemblage and the car. Hence, vibrational forces transmitted to the assemblage, as by a vibrator comprising a weight 126 like that previously described, will in turn be transmitted to the car. In this case, as in that described above, the weight 126 is carried on a hollow shaft 128 suitably supported at its lower end in a bearing 130 on a plate 132 that rigidly cross connects the side flanges of the central member 108, again welding, as at 134, being used to establish the connection. An upper bearing 136 in an enlargement of the upper flange of the member 108 carries the upper end of the vibrator shaft and this upper flange additionally supports a driving source, such as an electric motor 138, the shaft of which is telescopically received in the hollow vibrator shaft, which will be clear from a relation of this description to that previously given. A lift yoke 140, similar to that previously described, may be welded to the central member for similar purposes, and again the bridging relationship to the motor 138 is retained.

\Vhen the toggle is in the position of FIGURE 5, the members 110 and 112 are limited in their downward swinging movement relative to the member 108 as by stops or abutments 142 and 144, but when the toggle is straightened, the members move away from the stops.

Typical of force exerting means for causing straightening of the toggle are a pair of similar fluid motors arranged in parallelism respectively at opposite sides of the lift bail 140. Each of these comprises a cylinder 146 having a piston and piston rod 148. In the present case, each cylinder 146 is pivotally connected at 150 to an arm 152 rigidly secured as by welding at 154 to the proximate end of the right hand outer member 112. The associated piston rod 148 is pivoted at 156 to an arm 158 welded as at 160 to the inner end of the other member 110. The cylinders are of the two-way type and are connected in parallel as by fluid lines 162 and 154 to any suitable device shown schematically at 166, which, like the device 66 previously described, may be a combination pump and valve for separate components. Since the device 166 is selectively controllable to operate the cylinders 146, the toggle may be straightened from the position of FIGURE 5 to that of FIGURE 6 and may also be returned to the position of FIGURE 5 when it is desired to move the assemblage 105.

For the purpose of further augmenting the gripping or clampin action between the member 110 and the car wall 102, the member 110 carried a yieldably mounted end element 168, the cut-out or notch at the ree end of the other member 112 constituting a fixed end element 171). The element 168 is rigidly secured to a tubular member 172. which has wings 174- rigid thereon for guiding the assembly between the side flanges 122 of the member 110 and the inner surface of its top flange and a plate 176 welded across the bottom of the two side flanges 122, as at 178 (FIGURE 8). The wings 174 may be welded to the tube as at 180 (FIGURE 8). The related walls of the flanges of the member 110, as implemented by the plate 176, thus afford a pocket in which the tube 172, to which the block or jaw 168 is welded, is slidable lengthwise of the member 110. The sliding movement is resiliently opposed and controlled by yielding means, here in the form of a coiled compression spring 182 which at one end abuts the back face of the jaw 168 and which at its other end abuts the front face of a plunger 184 having its rod 186 slidably carried in a nut 188 threaded at 190 into the open end of the tube 172. See FIGURE 7. The inner or back end of the pocket in which the tube 172 slides is closed by a cross plate 190' having a tapped bore into which a threaded portion of the plunger rod 186 is threaded. A lock nut 192 is afforded for securing the adjusted position of the plunger. It will thus be seen that the plunger is a fixed, but adjustable, extension or part of the plate 190' which is of course welded to the member 110. Since the nut 188, which is threaded into the tube 172, is a part of the tub-e and is slidable on the plunger rod, the relationship is one in which the spring 182 acts between the head 184 of the plunger and the back face of the jaw 168, the spring being yieldable in compression as the toggle is straightened from the position of FIGURE 5 to that of FIGURE 6. When the toggle is relaxed for the purpose of removing the assemblage, the spring operates of course in the opposite direction and assists breaking" of the toggle. The outer end of the threaded plunger rod 186 may be squared or otherwise shaped to receive a suitable tool. As best shown in FIGURE 5, the side flanges 122 are cut away to provide across to the rod at 194 as well as to the lock or jam nut 192. It is clear that adjustment of the relationship between the stop and the movable jaw 186 may be achieved according to variations in dimension between sides of the car.

The features and advantages attributable to the apparatus of FIGURES 1 through 4 are attainable by the apparatus in FIGURES 5 through 8, as well as additional features and advantages which will have occurred to those versed in the art as the description has progressed. Other features may be interchanged. For example, the jaws 42 and 48 in FIGURES 1-4 were described as being notched at 44 and 50, respectively, to accommodate the side wall rivets at 20 and 22, thus in effect adapting themselves to the configuration of the marginal portions of the side walls. This prevents the assemblage from creeping and other relative displacement during operation. The jaw-s could of course be designed especially for other car wall configurations, as in FIGURES 5-8, where the type of car shown has flared walls in which the upper marginal edge of each is undercut as it were. The jaws 168 and 170 are configured accordingly. Teeth or other wall-engaging moans could as well be provided on the jaws.

In the application of the invention in either form above in another environment, as in FIGURE 9, there is employed a reversal of force in the force-transmitting means as well as the use of the invention in a hatch or port hole, as in the top or side etc. of a car or equivalent container. The numeral 200 indicates a representative car as having a hatch defined by spaced apart wall or marginal portions 202. The apparatus, denoted in its entirety at 204 may include an elongated member 206, which is comparable to that at 26. To one end of this is secured a fixed jaw 208 and at the other end is fixed a hydraulic cylinder 210 which has a piston and piston rod connected to a movable jaw 212, the jaws being typically shaped to engage the marginal portions 202 so as to prevent vertical relative displacement of the apparatus. In this case, by way of illustrating a reversal of the action obtained in FIGURES 1-4 and 5-8, the cylinder and piston assembly is contractable to create the gripping force, being under control of a device 214 which is comparable to those at 66 and 166. The jaw 212 may be slidably related in any suitable manner to the undersurface of the member 206. A vibrator 216, driving motor 218 and lifting yoke 220 complete the general similarity to the apparatus of either FIGURES 1-4 or FIGURES -8, it being clear, of course, that the details of the three forms can be selectively varied and interchanged among them. In many cases, cars have several hatches and it will be obvious that if the member 286 is long enough to span, say, two hatches, one jaw may engage an edge of one hatch and the other jaw may engage the opposite edge of the other hatch.

Still further features, objects and significant aspects will likewise readily occur on the basis of what has been disclosed, and these, along with various modifications in the disclosed structure, may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Shaker mechanism for use with a material-handling container having spaced apart walls including horizontal portions, comprising: a plurality of relatively movable interconnected members afifording an assemblage of variable length adapted to span the container and having opposite end elements for respectively engaging said wall portions; mean-s acting between the members for forcibly varying the length of said assemblage to cause said elements to respectively grip said wall portions for rigidly mounting the assemblage on the container, one of said members being connected to one end element and the other end element being relatively movable and said means including a fiuid-pressure motor having relatively movable parts connected to said one member and to said other element; and vibrator mechanism carried by said assemblage and including an upright shaft and an eccentric weight carried and driven by the shaft to create horizontal vibrational forces for transmission through said assemblage to the container.

2. The invention defined in claim 1,. in which: said motor is of the two-way type having control means operative selectively to cause the motor to lengthen and shorten said assemblage.

3. Shaker mechanism for use with a material-handling container having spaced apart walls including horizontal portions, comprising: a plurality of relatively movable interconnected members affording an assemblage of variable length adapted to span the container and having opposite end elements for respectively engaging said wall portions; means acting between the members for forcibly varying the length of said elements to cause said elements to respectively grip said wall portions for rigidly mounting the assemblage on the container, one of said members being elongated in the direction of the spacing of said wall portions and rigidly carrying one of said end by said one member, and said means includes a hydrauelernents, said other end element being movably carried lic cylinder carried by said one member and a piston carried by said cylinder and constituting the other member and being connected to the other end element; and vibrator mechanism carried by said assemblage and including an upright shaft and an eccentric weight carried and driven by the shaft to create horizontal vibrational forces for transmission through said assemblage to the container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,357,292 11/1920 Lowe 2591 1,858,855 5/1932 Haas 21464.2 1,970,740 8/1934 Day 214-64.2 X 2,648,447 8/ 1953 Shields 214-64.2 72,706,566 4/1955 Friedh 214-83.3 2,889,943 6/1959 Plant 214-642 2,986,246 5/ 1961 Lester.

FOREIGN PATENTS 556,410 4/1957 Belgium.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

MORRIS TEMIN, HUGO O. SCHULZ, Examiners. 

1. SHAKER MECHANISM FOR USE WITH A MATERIAL-HANDLING CONTAINER HAVING SPACED APART WALLS INCLUDING HORIZONTAL PORTIONS, COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE INTERCONNECTED MEMBERS AFFORDING AN ASSEMBLAGE OF VARIABLE LENGTH ADAPTED TO SPAN THE CONTAINER AND HAVING OPPOSITE END ELEMENTS FOR RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID WALL PORTIONS; MEANS ACTING BETWEEN THE MEMBERS FOR FORCIBLY VARYING THE LENGTH OF SAID ASSEMBLAGE TO CAUSE SAID ELEMENTS TO RESPECTIVELY GRIP SAID WALL PORTIONS FOR RIGIDLY MOUNTING THE ASSEMBLAGE ON THE CONTAINER, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED TO ONE END ELEMENT AND THE OTHER END ELEMENT BEING RELATIVELY MOVABLE AND SAID MEANS INCLUDING A FLUID-PRESSURE MOTOR HAVING RELATIVELY MOVABLE PARTS CONNECTED TO SAID ONE MEMBER AND TO SAID OTHER ELEMENT; AND VIBRATOR MECHANISM CARRIED BY SAID ASSEMBLAGE AND INCLUDING AN UPRIGHT SHAFT AND AN ECCENTRIC WEIGHT CARRIED AND DRIVEN BY THE SHAFT TO CREATE HORIZONTAL VIBRATIONAL FORCES FOR TRANSMISSION THROUGH SAID ASSEMBLAGE TO THE CONTAINER. 